President William Ruto has reappointed former Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro as the Chairperson of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
In a Gazette Notice on Friday, Ruto appointed Ethuro for a five-year period effective September 19, 2023.
Ethuro was the first Senate speaker after the first election under the 2010 Constitution. A close Ruto ally, he was a member of the URP party which merged with TNA to form the Jubilee Alliance.
"William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces re-appoints Ekwee Ethuro to be the Chairperson of the Higher Education Loans Board, for a period of five (5) years, with effect from the 19th September, 2023," the Gazette Notice read in part.
Ethuro was first appointed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, one year after losing his Turkana governorship bid.
Before venturing into politics, Ethuro held senior positions in the private sector and non-profit organisations.
As the Chairperson of HELB, Ethuro is responsible for providing leadership and direction to the Board in order to meet its statutory obligations.
Section 4 (1) (a) of the Higher Education Loans Board Act, grants Ethuro powers to chair all board meetings and ensure that the Board's business is conducted in a fair and efficient manner.
He is also expected to guide and support the CEO and other members of the Board.
Presently, the Higher Education Loans Board is working with other agencies to implement the new University Funding model.
The new University Funding model is expected to benefit both students and universities.
The new model is still in its early stages of implementation, however, HELB noted that it has the potential to change the way that higher education is funded in Kenya.
